Quarter 'can't afford overseas holiday'

With Christmas a distant memory, and weeks of chilly weather still to come, it’s no surprise that today has been designated “Blue Monday” – nor that it is the busiest day of the year for holiday bookings.

The prospect of a summer escape to warmer climes helps keep many of us sane during winter months, but a survey has suggested that more than one in five of us cannot afford to go abroad this year.

Of those questioned in the poll, 21 per cent said they would be staying in Britain this summer due to financial concerns, while only 26 per cent said they could comfortably afford an overseas holiday.

Female travellers appear more reticent to spend, with just 22 per cent claiming they were unconcerned about the cost of a holiday abroad – compared with 31 per cent of men. The over-55s were also far happier at the prospect of forking out for a foreign trip; more than a third (35 per cent) said they could comfortably afford one this year.

The survey of 2,000 travellers was commissioned by Travel Channel. It also asked respondents to name the destinations that would top their “bucket list”. London came top, ahead of Paris, New York, Rome and Venice.

Abta, the travel association, recently suggested that January 20 would be the busiest day of the year for overseas holiday bookings.